Avian influenza is a rapidly spread aerosolized bird disease and rapidly infects flocks or birds when outbreak occurs. Isolation of avian influenza virus (AIV) using embryonating chicken eggs (ECE) has been the standard test, although it is a labor intensive and time consuming procedure. All 15 subtypes of AIV replicate successfully in ECE as measured by hemagglutination (HA) test. The hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and neuramimidase-inhibition (NI) tests are commonly used to identify each specific subtype of AIV. During the past decade, new methodologies using monoclonal antibodies-based assays and molecular techniques have been evolved and studied in the demonstration of antigens of AIV directly from clinical and field specimens. Although these advanced methods are not yet applicable for routine diagnostic or surveillance purposes, they have been employed in certain circumstances for the identification of AIV in conjunction with virus isolation in ECE. To enhance the rapid detection of AIV in flocks enables the growers and public authorities to better control the rapid spread of disease.
The present invention provides a rapid test for such animal viruses that is accurate and far less costly than conventional testing methods. Isolation of AIV using ECE has been the gold standard to date, but it is a time consuming procedure. The procedure requires at least a minimum of 2 to 3 days to determine a test result. Avian influenza is a vexing problem for poultry producers. Avian influenza infections can range from subclinical with no symptoms, to mild with some production losses, to severe with high rates of illness and death. The present invention is directed to a monoclonal antibody-based dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAb-based Dot-ELISA) test which is cheaper and a far more rapid test for detecting such viruses than the procedures and tests described above.